WIMBLEDON

July 1, 2000

Patrick Rafter

MODERATOR: Ladies and Gentlemen, Pat Rafter.

PATRICK RAFTER: I served really well, especially on the big points today. You know, I pretty well took most of my chances that I had. I just sort of hit -- I was just very determined out there. I think that's the difference I've had coming into this week compared to the last few Grand Slam tournaments that I've played in.

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, I realise I have a chance here again - at the beginning of the week, I felt as well. Now I'm starting to play good tennis again. The shoulder's fine. Makes me excited to be out here.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah. Still hasn't had a big five-setter yet; not that I want one. Still really hasn't been tested out. I'm confident it will be fine.

PATRICK RAFTER: Not at all. That's another good thing about it; there's no weakness throughout the match at all. I go down after the match, I do more work on the shoulder. So it's continually getting good endurance work on it.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah. Just, as I said, I'm very determined. When I'm out on the court, I'm very focused again. It's been a while since I felt like that. It's good.

PATRICK RAFTER: I'm too lazy actually to get the paper, so I don't even know. I don't know. I guess that's the downside of someone like Kournikova. I guess she's always going to get picked on in those sort of things. But, no, I've been lucky. I think I've been lucky.

PATRICK RAFTER: No, no. If there's a good story, someone might bring it in, have a read and a chuckle. Hasn't been about me yet.

PATRICK RAFTER: No, it was the let machine (winking).

PATRICK RAFTER: Gustafsson, I've had some good results against Magnus. Again, you have to work very hard. I'd be sort of confident playing Magnus. Thomas, I've never played before. But again, these guys serve pretty well and they stay back and rip their shots. It's going to be a serve-volley against a baseliner; similar match to what I played today, I think.

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, I think there was a situation at 4-All or something like that in the second set where he had breakpoint. I stayed back and we got into a rally. You know, if you lose those points, you think I guess things aren't going your way. When you win them, you know that something's happening. It's positive, it's going your way.

PATRICK RAFTER: There were. Again at Love-40, early -- I can't remember. It was a Love-40 game, 15-40 game, as well. Maybe one or two other breakpoints that I saved.

PATRICK RAFTER: I have a light hit, probably do some training, just a light bit of training, off-court stuff. Then a game of cricket is on, I might have a look.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah.

PATRICK RAFTER: No. I'm a pretty aggressive everything. I played once, one of the initial games about '91, first ones that started in Australia. We played out the back in Camberwell, way out of Melbourne. Only about a half dozen of us. I haven't played since. I'm a pretty temperamental cricketer.

PATRICK RAFTER: I've been in this situation now quite a few times. Again, I'm here. I feel like, again, we come down to 16 guys - I'm there anyway. It's going to be 16 by the end of today. You know, I think everyone's got a realistic chance. But I put myself probably a little bit higher than some of the baseliners here. Obviously, Andre is an exception to that. Yeah, at the moment I'd feel more comfortable playing a baseliner than someone like Tim or Pete.

PATRICK RAFTER: I had problems at the French Open. I was having a lot of treatment on the shoulder.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah. But I refused to go on antiinflammatories until I think the Davis Cup match.

PATRICK RAFTER: I mean, I'm not saying -- I still don't feel I'm going to win. I just feel I have a chance, an outside chance. I'm not saying I'm going to win it.

PATRICK RAFTER: I feel like now I have as good a chance as anyone. Put it that way. I feel like I have a 1-in-16 chance of winning it. It's going up every day. I feel like I'm putting in a good performance. Mentally I'm really there at the moment. That's a good sign.

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, it's just matches, mate. That's the big thing. When you haven't played a lot of matches, you don't know how to get out of situations. Now I felt like I've had more matches. It only comes by playing matches. Hard to sit down and do the mental work, visualize it or do it in practise. It's got to be on court in match situations.

PATRICK RAFTER: I'm deaf in one ear. I find it hard to hear the lets anyway. Rainer was also looking at the umpire strangely. I generally hear most of them. Every now and then I miss one. I mean, some flat serves, but this serve was a big kick serve. I reckon it cleared the net by a metre. I had to say a word to him. Then the net judge came out. I'm sure he said one that wasn't one either. Myself and Rainer looked up again, just sort of nodded our heads. I don't know, maybe we're missing something.

PATRICK RAFTER: No. I guess I've got to go with the umpire more. I look at the other guy to see what he thinks. If he goes yes (nodding), okay a let. If he goes, "Huh," I go "Huh."

PATRICK RAFTER: It's not the machine. It's actually hearing the net. I don't actually believe that machine a hundred percent.

PATRICK RAFTER: Today I was serving the second serve over a hundred miles very consistently. It was definitely flattened out today. A few big points, I went for it, as well. I felt very good out there serving that way. I think that's the way I have to serve my second serve.

PATRICK RAFTER: I think some character over here the other day asked me about betting, which is just a stupid comment, stupid question to ask. I mean, I think sometimes people search for tabloid sort of questions. That's a typical sort of tabloid question, I think.

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, we don't generally get asked much about personal life in here. It's mainly business in these sort of press conferences. I'll talk about it if I feel like talking about it. If I think they're going too far, then I just won't answer the question.

PATRICK RAFTER: They're different. They're more in the limelight. These girls are actresses or former great tennis players. I guess if there's something they want to know a bit more. Myself and my girlfriend, we're pretty low-key.